Bosh stands alone

Toronto Raptors star Chris Bosh has vented at his teammates recently, some of whom say they feel bad that they are not providing him with more on-court help during their losing skid. (Toronto Sun File/Ernest Doroszuk)

"I'm sorry for him right now that we're not giving him the help we can give him to be successful (as a team)," the Raptors guard said. "I know he wants it so bad, the same way we do. You just see it on his face."

What you see on Bosh's face these days is frustration. The Raptors star is playing the most complete basketball of his career, yet his team has lost five games in a row and needs a win tonight against the NBA-best Utah Jazz to avoid an 0-5 West Coast swing.

Bosh, who has become more and more emotional over the years, hasn't hesitated in displaying his thoughts during the skid. During a loss against the Golden State Warriors, he had more than a few choice words for Andrea Bargnani at a timeout after the rookie forward came up small on the glass.

After their most recent defeat, a 117-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, Bosh was in the face of T.J. Ford as the Raptors star vented about the latest letdown.

"It's just frustration," said Ford, who was joking around with his Texas lockermate after the game. "It wasn't nothing toward any of his teammates. It's just a matter of us wanting to win. Whenever we lose, we feel like it's on us. We're two main focal points of the team and it's just a matter of frustration. We're giving it everything we've got, but it's not enough. We feel like we've got to give more. That's all it was, frustration."

Without Bosh, the Raptors would be unwatchable. Bosh, third in the NBA in rebounding on a horrible rebounding team, has hauled in 116 of the Raps' 367 rebounds for an average of 12.9 per game, well up from his 9.2 of last season. He is averaging 22.2 points per game, a shade down from his 25.5, but his shooting percentage is up to 51.1% from 50.5. And he is doing this all in two fewer minutes per game -- 37.2

"Chris is keeping us in games," Jones said. "I really didn't know how good he was until I started playing with him and seeing everything he can do. He demands double- teams, he knows how to pass, he's able to get his own stuff off offensive rebounds. He's an amazing player."

And he could be that much more amazing if his teammates make a big shot once in a while.

"Just be decisive," Bosh said. "I stay on my teammates about that -- either pass it or shoot it. We're hesitating on the weak side, with jump shots, hesitating a lot, just because we missed a couple. We just need to step in with confidence and knock down that shot and now the double won't come anymore and I'll be able to work a little better."